Motorcycles and Lies (Anxceit)

Very Good Bad Thing

TW: Talk of death and talk of being shot

    After an hour of hiding out near the city outskirts, Virgil sat on the grass nearby. When Janus drove by, Virgil flagged him down a few miles from Janus’s home. Janus gave him a confused look, rolling down his window.

    “Virgil? What are you doing?”

    “We gotta talk, sunflower,” Virgil replied, the excitement and playfulness thick in his tone of voice. His stance on the ground had only had his feet touching the floor, his arms and legs just above it in anticipation.

    Janus’s grip on the steering wheel tightened greatly but Virgil didn’t notice. “About what?” He asked, a suspicious look upon his face. 

    “I just got an offer and if not offered something better, I will take it.”

    “What kind of offer…?” Janus inquired, his demeanor now slightly nervous.

    “So you know how I’ve talked about joining your ‘family business?’” He used air quotes around the words “family business,” knowing full well what kind of business his family was in.

    “And I’ve said no. Please don’t say someone approached you and asked you to join, Virge…” He sounded exasperated and worried, unlike anything Virgil had heard before, all previous concern had been masked with sarcasm and rudeness for Janus to keep up face with his friend.

    Virgil faltered for a second, “I mean, yeah, they did. Now that I think about it, they kinda look like the sketch you made of them, so I could avoid ‘em. Was that why? You didn’t want them to steal me from you?” His tone was back to normal by the end.

    “No! Virgil, they have no goodwill towards you. We’re enemy groups, I guess you could call it. Hold up, get in, this is too risky.” Janus opened the door to the car, letting Virgil get into the passenger seat. Virgil got in, confused.

    “Did you walk here?” Janus asked.

    “Yeah, my, uh, bike is at my house.”

    Janus gave him a curious look but didn’t press it, instead opting to drive to his home, leading Virgil inside through the mostly abandoned, back entrance. He led him up to his room, locking the door behind them.

    “What’s all the fuss about?” Virgil asked.

    “We don’t need anyone hearing, okay? Now sit.”

    His sternness led Virgil to obey, who sat on the bed, knowing that the tone only came out when Janus was seriously worried about their safety. “Okay? What now what? I don’t know why you’re so stressed. I’m only accepting if you don’t let me into yours.”

    “Virgil, you don’t understand. You don’t want to get caught up in my life. I already don’t like having you here as is. Imagine you ten years from now. You don’t want to regret your choices as a kid. Go to college and get a degree, become a musician, I don’t care, just don’t get stuck with me!” He shook with emotion, unable to stress to Virgil enough the severity of his actions. 

    “Janus…”

    “No! I don’t want to be here, Virgil! I hate it, yet here I am, doomed to be shot if I do!”

    There was a pause, Janus using all his strength to not let the tears building up flow. 

“Remember our first time hanging out? Out in the field?” Virgil asked.

    “I mean, yeah. Why?” Janus sniffled a little.

    “I promised to be your way out of your situation, I could tell you didn’t like it. But here I am, unable to do anything for you ‘cause my mom hates my guts and might actually kill me if I brought you home.”

    “Yeah, we don’t need two dead teens. Wish we could just run away from all this crap.”

    “Yeah… I wish…”

A/N
Sorry for the later and shorter update, I found it really hard to write during Thanksgiving breaks but hopefully chapters will go back to normal soon!